Making My Name
by reflect.clouds
Summary: When new students, Lydia and Hannah, are offered places at Horace Green private school, the School of Rock is due for a shake up. But can a girl who doesn't need anyone find a place where she never expected to find anything? FreddieOC, ZackOC.
1. Welcome to Horace Green

**Hey! This is my first ever fic on fanfiction. Not being very fond of FreddieKatie or FreddieSummer, I've tried to create an OC who'll suit him perfectly. But who is that? You'll have to wait and see...**

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This is the story of Lydia Vice: 14 years old, 5'1 and 90lbs. Her very pale skin contrasts directly with her thick, coal black hair and large dark eyes. Yes, she is a goth. Her parents spend most of their time travelling, so she lives with her aunt and uncle, who are typically type A relatives: all pushing and shoving. The hatred is mutual. Her school burnt down two months ago, but the head teacher managed to get them a place in Horace Green private school, where her sister taught. Her best friend Hannah was also coming, along with her worst enemy Louisa.

She sat in the back seat of the car as the school came into view. _Preppy,_ was her first thought, and she felt awful in the uniform. It was depressingly conformist. A blue Mercedes swung into the space opposite her. In the window she saw Hannah, her best friend of five years, waving at her frantically.

"That girl," said her aunt Karen in distaste. "No self-restraint at all." Lydia rolled her eyes and got out of the car. "Oh, and Lydia!" Aunt Karen called in annoyance. "_Behave._ This is one of the best schools in the state. If you embarrass me-"

"I will," Lydia said and slammed the door shut. Joining Hannah, she walked away, and smirked at the look on your aunt's face as she ignored her.

"Weird place, this, isn't it?" Hannah whispered. She looked very plain in her uniform, her dark blonde hair in two braids. Normally, she wore an array of bright colours, bangles and tutus. Today she faded into the crowds, unlike Lydia, who couldn't fade in if she tried.

"I know," she replied. "Sucks, this."

"What all of this, or a certain thing?"

She waved a hand at the uniform.

"_This, _Hannah. Look at me. I look like Louisa!"  
"You wish," someone sneered from behind her. Lydia turned to see her evil, cheerleading nemesis Louisa. She looked immaculate in her uniform, her curly blonde hair and blue eyes practically glowing with a miss-America sheen.

"Oh wow," Lydia said sarcastically, "I can actually _see_ the preppiness."

"I have better things to do than talk to weirdoes like you," replied Louisa, as Hannah laughed at her comment. She brushed past her and strode into the school imperiously. Lydia looked at Hannah.

"You know the good thing about this place?" she asked.

"Nuh-uh." Hannah shook her head empathetically.

"We're in the same class as the School of Rock."

Freddie's P.O.V

Freddie leant against the desk in boredom, then jerked up as the door swung open to admit his principal, Miss Mullens. After Mr.S, she had loosened up a bit, but not much. Behind her were three girls. The first was a gorgeous but snobbish-looking blonde, and the girl behind her was a small and peaky-looking blondish brunette. The last girl was different. She was kind of pretty, in an interesting way, with too-pale skin, pitch black hair and dark eyes surrounded by layers of intense black eyeliner. _Gothic,_ he thought, staring at her. She caught you staring, and glared at him. Freddie glared back. Jerk.

"Class, I'd like to introduce you to your new classmates, Louisa Madison, Hannah Ferry and Lydia Vice. Their school burnt down recently, so I want you to give them a proper, Horace Green welcome!" She beamed at the three encouragingly. Louisa gave one of the biggest, cheesiest smiles ever. Hannah stared in confusion. Lydia merely looked sceptical.

"Thank you, Principal Mullens," put in Miss Reid. She was their new teacher, and the most boring person on the planet. "I can take the girls from here." After Miss Mullens left, she turned to the three girls. "Now, where to put you," she said. Yes, _Seating Plans. _It was Miss Reid's idea of restoring order. From the look on Lydia and Hannah's faces, Freddie could tell that they didn't think much of it either.

"Alright, Louisa, if you'll sit next to Summer." She gestured to Summer, who gave Louisa a glare. Predictable: Louisa would rival Summer's role as the perfect student. "Hannah, next to Eleni." Eleni grinned and waved. Hannah waved back and practically bounced over to sit next to her. "And Lydia…next to Zack." Freddie groaned and sunk back onto the desk. _At least she had looked like she could be interesting,_ he thought.

Lydia's P.O.V

At lunch, Zack took Lydia to meet his friends. First was Summer, the one who sat next to Louisa. Apparently she was band manager. _Nice, if a bit bossy and stuck-up. _Then there was Katie, a tall, quiet girl, Tomika, a really sweet black girl, Alicia, Marta, Eleni and Michelle, four of the cutesiest girls ever, and Laurence, a quiet nerdy Asian boy. Zack was sweet in his own way, just like all the others. Lydia couldn't help but get the feeling that she might actually grow to like these guys.

"And this is Freddie," said Zack, "he's our drummer." She looked at the boy who'd been staring at her before. He had blond hair and chocolate brown eyes.

"Hi," Lydia said nonchalantly. "You're staring at me again." He just smirked and held out his hand.

"Hi!" chirped Hannah, bouncing up beside him. "Are you in the band too?"

"Earth to Hannah, Zack just said he's the drummer."

Hannah shot her a look that said _Don't ruin this for me, _and said, "We're in a band. I'm a drummer too!"

"Really?" asked Summer. "What kinda band?"

"Rock," Lydia answered in boredom.

"Cool, so is ours," replied Eleni. Lydia resisted the temptation to say 'I can see that.' "So," she continued, "what's your band called?"  
"Darklight," Hannah said.

"Cool name," said Zack. He was looking at her when he said this, and Lydia felt a strange movement in her stomach.

"Can't be any good if she's in it," said Freddie, indicating her. Lydia gazed at him with the air of a cat waiting to pounce. "I mean, can you even play anything?"

"I play lead guitar and piano," she said to the others, ignoring Freddie.

"Soft stuff," retorted Freddie.

"Better than drums. Gee, that must be hard, whacking stuff. Almost impossible."

"Shut your face!"

Lydia looked at him. "Oh my, I'm so scared." Her eyes narrowed slightly. "Bite me, drummer boy."

"You stuck-up little-"

"Guys!" Hannah yelled, jumping in between the two. "Cool it for a second, OK? Save your issues for people who care."

"Funnily enough, you'd be hard pushed to find someone who cared about some else's issues," Katie remarked.

"Issues? I don't have issues!"  
"Looked in the mirror recently, drummer boy?"

"Stop calling me that!"

"Calling you what, drummer boy?"

"Shut up!"

They both stopped as Louisa entered the classroom.

"Friend of yours?" asked Freddie quietly. Hannah shook her head violently. Summer leaned in closer.

"She's a real jerk," she whispered. "All she ever does is look in a mirror and talk about herself." Lydia grinned.

As she walked past, Lydia said loudly, "Ooh, the air just got a little bit more plastic." Freddie, Hannah, Zack and Summer laughed. The others followed their lead.

"A cheap shot, but a good one," she heard Michelle murmur. Louisa turned to glare at them.

"At least I have style," she said, looking condescendingly at Lydia's hair. The girl in question just smiled.

"Ah my friends, we bear witness to the sad truth." She flicked back her hair in exaggeration, and threw on an American accent. "Your style is so, totally, like, five minutes ago!" Louisa pouted and stomped off to check her hair.

"Emo!" She called over her shoulder. Lydia sighed.

"Yeah, cos' that's soo original."


	2. Nobody knows

Lydia's P.O.V

Lydia stared at the blank paper, lost in the music swirling round her mind. Every now and then, she would scribble something illegible. Passers by smiled at the sight of her, seated on a park bench surrounded by crumpled paper, ponytail keeping the hair out of her face as the wind blew the paper out of her hands. The song she was writing was for her band, Darklight. A minute later, she scowled and screwed up yet another piece of paper and chucked it to the side.

"That's half a rainforest you've used up by now," someone remarked from behind her. Lydia looked over her shoulder.

"Better me than you," she replied, staring straight at Freddie Jones, blond spikes hidden beneath a Green Day beanie hat. "At least I'm doing something constructive. Planning to sit down any time soon, or are you just going to stand there?"

He slid onto the bench and snatched some of the screwed up sheets. Lydia tried to grab them back.

"Get off! Those are mine!"

"Finders keepers," replied Freddie, pinning her against the bench with one arm. Holding the paper away from her, he quickly scanned the lyrics. Releasing her, she snatched the lyrics from his hand.

"I told you, keep your hands off my stuff!"

"Are all your songs like that?" He seemed serious all of a sudden, the tease gone from his dark chocolate eyes.

"What? What are you talking about?" She stared at him in confusion.

"What do you mean, 'like that'?"

"I mean so... so..."

Lydia had never been a 'serious conversation' person. Her ability to handle pressure was nonexistent. After a moment, she said,

"In your own time. It's not my life you're wasting. Although wait a second, it is!"

"Shut up! I was being serious."

"Yeah, yeah, aren't we all."

"Are you always like this?"

"Again with the likes! I don't know what you're talking about!"

"Fine," declared Freddie. "Then I'm leaving." He reached over and grabbed some more of Lydia's scrap paper. "But not without this." He smirked and jumped out of her reach.

"Freddie! Give them here!"

"Nope. I'll see you later." With that, he walked off, back towards the park gate.

Lydia grabbed some of the screwed up paper and chucked it at him.

"You're an asshole, Freddie!"

He grinned at her and waved. She scowled, turning back around. With a groan, she realised that Freddie had taken nearly all her lyrics. There was no way she could focus now. Standing up, she kicked the bench angrily. Some old people gave her odd looks, so she hauled her bag over her shoulders and headed in the opposite direction to Freddie. It was only when she was outside the park that she remembered the lyrics Freddie had been reading. They were in her hand so she opened them, her eyes flicking over the few lines.

Tomorrow's just a day away,

There's still so much for me to say,

So many things for me to do to let me live my live,

My way.

And when tomorrow's yesterday,

I'll think back to the day when there was no tomorrow,

Only days that came and went,

So why?

Why bother fighting, trying to win,

Tomorrow's one whole day from today.

That was all she had written. What had surprised him in that, made him act in that well, un-Freddie-like way? With a sigh, she resigned herself to the fact that she would never know. _That's Freddie for you._

Hannah's P.O.V (two weeks later)

Hannah sat on the floor of Dewey's flat while she waited for them to finish rehearsals. Lydia was sitting on a windowsill staring moodily out into the street. Apparently she was in a bad mood. Ever since the first week of school, Hannah and Lydia had started coming to rehearsals. After their rehearsal, the two girls would head over to their own band practice. None of their new friends had come to any of the Darklight band rehearsals. Well, not yet anyway. Even Hannah's boyfriend hadn't seen them play. Yes, Freddie was her boyfriend as of seven days ago. Ever since then, Lydia had been all moody. Hannah didn't think that it was because of Freddie though. Lydia didn't get crushes, even on the cutest guys who made her faint after one smile. Not Lydia.

Alicia ran over to sit next to her.

"Practice is over," she said.

"You rocked," Hannah told her with a beaming smile.

"Thanks," she replied. "What'cha doing?"

"Reading," Hannah stated, showing her the cover of the magazine. It was a Japanese one her dad had got her.

"Cool!" She replied. "Hey Marta, Eleni, Michelle! Check out these outfits!"

Lydia abruptly slid off the windowsill.

"I have to go," she said, and walked out. Hannah stared at the door, worried. Lydia had been going off a lot lately. No one knew where she went, not even her best friends. It bothered you, because, when it came down to it, Lydia didn't really care what happened to her. What if she was on crack or something? Hannah shook your head. No point in worrying about that now. It would just make Lydia mad to catch Hannah following her.

Freddie came over to sit besides her, slinging his arm round her waist.

"What are you thinking?" He asked.

"Just thinking about Lydia," she replied. "I mean, do you even know where she is half the time? She's supposed to be my best friend, but lately she's been really freaking me out!"

Freddie hugged her. "Don't worry about her," he whispered. "Lydia can handle herself."  
Hannah shivered. "That's what I'm scared of."

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**Alright then, second chapter! You don't know how many times I've had to rewrite this, and it still isn't the best thing in the world.**

**Tomorrow, I am going to France for a week, so there will be no third chapter until then.**

**Hope you enjoyed it, Rate and Review!**


	3. Take me out

**I'm back! Thanks so much to all the people who reviewed, especially:**

**Polkadot-Sunstar**

**xpinkittyx**

**As well as every other person who has added me in favourites or alerts! I missed writing, and therefore present this chapter to everyone who reads this story. By the way, I have to dedicate it to my friend Claire, who is my inspiration for Lydia. Read and Review!**

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Zack's P.O.V 

As usual, Zack were the first to leave band practice. Not including Lydia, obviously. He stepped out into the street, the rain pouring down on him. His dad's car came swinging round the corner. He beeped at him, and Zack ran over and got in the car.

When he got home, he went straight up to his room. His parents were rich, so his room was pretty big, with loads of expensive stuff. Over his desk were pictures of him and the band. The latest few included Lydia and Hannah.

Zack picked up one. Freddie's arm was around Hannah's waist; she was smiling cheekily at the camera. Lydia looked moody as usual. His phone rang. With a sigh, Zack picked it up.

"Hello?"

"Zack?"

"Lydia?"

"Yeah, um…hi."

"Hi."

"Um, I left my bag-"

"The black one?"

"Yeah."

"Yeah, Hannah said she'd take it for you."

"Oh. Ok then."

"Where did you go? They missed you."

"Sure they did. And anyway, why do you want to know? It's up to me what I do with my life, right?"

"Alright, alright, no need to bite my head off. All I'm saying is-"

"Be careful, don't do anything stupid, like I've never heard that before. I'm a big girl now, and I can take care of myself."

"If you say so."

"I do indeed."

"Yeah…Wait!"  
"What?"  
"Erm, you know the band is going to the cinema on Friday?"  
"Yeah…"

"Are you going?"

"Yes Zack, I will be a good little girl and show up this time."  
"Well goodie for you, but that wasn't what I meant."

"Oh?"

"What I meant was, would you like to go-" he took a deep breath "- with me?"

There was a long pause. Then:  
"OK."

Lydia's P.O.V

Lydia looked through her wardrobe. _What do you wear on a date? Wow, never thought I'd think that particular sentence. _Scowling, she realised she had nothing that looked remotely like something one would wear out. Crossing the room, she turned on the computer and logged on to msn. Three people were online.

Hannah: XharajukuXprincessX _Love to Freddie and all ma gals Call me Alicia Lol the mall was so kl jks._

What was going on with Hannah? She used to be so cool and individual, but she changed ever since we started hanging out with people like Freddie and Eleni and such. Now she was all preppy, and it was getting on your nerves.

Zack: thEUngrAtEfUldEAd _It isn't possible to depend on anyone in this world, only myself._

Wow, pretty deep for someone like Zack.

Freddie: DrummerGuyRules _Love you Hannah baby you rock my world I rock so hard._

So typically Freddie.

Yours: LittleEmoDollyXiXwantXtoXdie _screen names are so conformist._

**thEUngrAtEfUldEAd:** Hi

**LittleEmoDollyXiXwantXtoXdie:** Nice screen name.

**thEUngrAtEfUldEAd:** Very funny.

**LittleEmoDollyXiXwantXtoXdie:** I'm serious. It's so deep.

**thEUngrAtEfUldEAd:** So's yours.

**LittleEmoDollyXiXwantXtoXdie:** Your powers of perception suck, as mine is the crappiest screen name ever, but thanks anyway.

**thEUngrAtEfUldEAd:** Welcome

_DrummerGuyRules has joined the conversation._

**LittleEmoDollyXiXwantXtoXdie:** Looking forward to tomorrow?

**DrummerGuyRules:** Who is?

**LittleEmoDollyXiXwantXtoXdie:** Not talking to you.

**thEUngrAtEfUldEAd:** Yeah, I am. Thanks for, you know.

**DrummerGuyRules:** What are you talking about?

**LittleEmoDollyXiXwantXtoXdie:** I'm going to the cinema with Zack tomorrow.

_DrummerGuyRules has left the conversation._

**LittleEmoDollyXiXwantXtoXdie:** Oh dear, I do believe we've scared him away. What a loss.

**thEUngrAtEfUldEAd:** Somehow, you don't sound upset.

**LittleEmoDollyXiXwantXtoXdie:** Is it that obvious?

**thEUngrAtEfUldEAd:** Do you really want me to answer that?

**LittleEmoDollyXiXwantXtoXdie:** I'll take a wild guess and say no.

**thEUngrAtEfUldEAd:** Good for you. BTW is Hannah coming tomorrow?

**LittleEmoDollyXiXwantXtoXdie:** Her and her toy boy.

**thEUngrAtEfUldEAd:** Somehow I doubt she'd appreciate that.

**LittleEmoDollyXiXwantXtoXdie:** So do I. We better not mention it.

**thEUngrAtEfUldEAd:** If you say so. What is it with you and Freddie anyway?

**LittleEmoDollyXiXwantXtoXdie:** Nothing.

**thEUngrAtEfUldEAd:** Everyone knows you hate each other.

**LittleEmoDollyXiXwantXtoXdie:** Oh come on. When have I said to Freddie, 'I loathe your guts and want to viciously murder you and throw you off a cliff'?

**thEUngrAtEfUldEAd:** Alright, have it your way.

**LittleEmoDollyXiXwantXtoXdie:** Just how I like it.

**thEUngrAtEfUldEAd:** Why am I not surprised?

**LittleEmoDollyXiXwantXtoXdie:** That was mean. I am upset now.

**thEUngrAtEfUldEAd:** Really?

**LittleEmoDollyXiXwantXtoXdie:** No.

**thEUngrAtEfUldEAd:** Gotta go Lydia.

**LittleEmoDollyXiXwantXtoXdie:** Bye.

**thEUngrAtEfUldEAd:** See you tomorrow.

**LittleEmoDollyXiXwantXtoXdie:** Yeah. Bye Zack.

_thEUngrAtEfUldEAd_ _has left the conversation._

**DrummerGuyRules:** Why are you taking Lydia to the cinema?  
**thEUngrAtEfUldEAd:** Because I like her.

**DrummerGuyRules:** You can't be serious.

**thEUngrAtEfUldEAd:** What's your problem?  
**DrummerGuyRules:** Nothing.

_DrummerGuyRules has left the conversation._


	4. Dear Diary

**Finally! I know it's been over a week since I last updated and I'm so sorry. Excuse: My dad took the only pc with him, so I was left with a mac. **

**Thank you so much for ALL the reviews, because they keep me writing. 115 Hits! Thanks to anyone who reads this, and please review if you haven't, because reviews make writing this worthwhile.**

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Lydia's Diary

Today wasn't so bad. School was boring, same as usual. Freddie was being an annoying little - You know what? It doesn't even matter, because Zack asked me out. It's really out of character for me to get excited about these things, but then, no one's ever asked me out before. I was surprised, to say the least. I hope it's good. Here's a secret: I'm really nervous. I haven't told anyone, because Freddie would never let me live it down, but I've never done anything like this before. I hope I don't mess it up.

I can't believe I actually wrote that. Someone is going to end up reading this, and I am going to be so embarrassed. I just hope it's someone like Tomika, who would be really sweet about it. Honestly, I just love Tomika; the girl has a heart of gold! She doesn't mind when I go off after their rehearsals. I honestly don't get why everyone cares.

No news from Mum, Dad and Jenny. It's been a long time since I last heard from them. I know that Mum and Dad are busy working, but you'd think Jenny, as my sister, would've called. I hate being alone here at Aunt Karen's house, even if my room is huge. I hope Mum and Dad call soon because I really miss them.

Another embarrassing thought. I've got to stop writing those down.

Jackie Gilmer, one of the girls from my old school called. She wants to meet up over the weekend. I told her that would be fun. I love Jackie. She's one of the few people who can actually talk back to me. It's nice to be able to have that sort of conversation, batting comments back and forwards like tennis. Not to mention she's one of the few people Aunt Karen actually likes.

Actually, looking back, Freddie can keep up with me too. He gets on my nerves, but sometimes he can be okay. I can't believe I just wrote that either. I must have the flu or something.

In all seriousness, I have to work on my whole making-friends thing. So maybe I'm the teeniest bit jealous of Hannah for having so many new friends. It's not just that though. Another secret: I feel really alone. Hannah, the one person who I thought I could trust, isn't close anymore. It feels like she's on one side of this huge wall, with Eleni and Michelle, and Marta, Alicia and Freddie, and I'm on the other side, looking in. Soon, she'll tell them my Biggest, Most Important Secret, and then I'll really be alone. She may even have already told them. But no I doubt it. Anyway, I still have Zack.

Well that turned out to be longer than planned. My hand hurts. I'll write more tomorrow. Which, shock horror, will be after my 'date'. I can't believe this is happening!

Hannah's P.O.V

Hannah flicked through some old tapes that she had found in the bottom of one of her drawers. They looked to be some tapes she had made of the band about a year ago. She had watched a few of them, and smiled at how young their music had been. Turning to scoop up a few more, the pile she had been holding dropped to the floor with a crash. With a sigh, she leafed through, when one caught her attention. It looked the same as all the others, but for thing. Instead of having a song name on it like all the others, it just said'Lydia'. Hannah tried to remember what was on it, and, when that failed, she slid it into the machine. It buzzed with static for a moment and then Lydia appeared on screen. She looked different, sort of, younger and- well, Hannah couldn't quite figure out what it was. The screen Lydia began to speak.

"Hey Hannah," she said with a smile, and Hannah realised how long it had been since she had last seen Lydia really smile. "I couldn't resist. I've always wanted to be on screen." Then the image blurred and another image appeared. It was Lydia again, but this time she wasn't looking at the camera. Instead, she sat at a large piano. Slowly, she began to play. Hannah recognised the song as 'My Immortal' by Evanescence.

_I'm so tired of being here  
Suppressed by all my childish fears  
And if you have to leave  
I wish that you would just leave  
'Cause your presence still lingers here  
And it won't leave me alone _

These wounds won't seem to heal  
This pain is just too real  
There's just too much that time cannot erase

When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears  
When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears  
And I held your hand through all of these years  
But you still have  
All of me

You used to captivate me  
By your resonating light  
Now I'm bound by the life you left behind  
Your face it haunts  
My once pleasant dreams  
Your voice it chased away  
All the sanity in me

These wounds won't seem to heal  
This pain is just too real  
There's just too much that time cannot erase

When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears  
When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears  
And I held your hand through all of these years  
But you still have  
All of me

_I've tried so hard to tell myself that you're gone  
But though you're still with me  
I've been alone all along _

When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears  
When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears  
And I held your hand through all of these years  
But you still have  
All of me

Lydia's voice soared though the song, hitting the notes perfectly. Her voice was so strong and emotional it almost made Hannah cry. How had she never noticed Lydia's voice? And why had Lydia never gone for lead singer? She would be far better than Amethyst, their current lead vocalist. She took the video out of the machine and slipped it into her bag. It was time for everyone to see just how good Lydia could be.


	5. You don't understand

**And so, we have another chapter in the world of SoR. I decided to post review responses here, for the last chapter. Well, the ones that need a response, not my friends whom I see every day. Please review, as it makes my life better.**

**Polkadot-Sunstar: Thanks! You are right, that's exactly what I was trying to do, because I needed Lydia to show another side to her that she would never reveal in front of her friends. In fact, I liked the diary style so much that I wrote another entry for this chapter. You were also right about the singing thing. Although I don't mention it this chapter, it will come upin the future. Thanks so much for reviewing EVERY CHAPTER! You are my star reviewer gives cookies**

**.Bdensgirl.: I know! Evanescence are the best! My friend is having a dress-up-as-a-rock-star party and I wanted to go as Amy Lee but she is taken! So I don't know what I'm gonna do. Anyway, thanks so much for reviewing.**

**Disclaimer: No one in this story belongs to me except Lydia and Hannah, and various other random characters I invented. No sueing please.**

**Note: This chapter is shorter than usual. This is because it is the only way it would make sense. Otherwise, it would be far too long. However, this means you lucky people will receive another chapter(part 2) very soon!**

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Freddie's Diary

What's up. Freddie here. Well actually, that's a bit obvious. Man, I hate diaries.

You probably want to know why I bother keeping one then. To tell the truth, I have no idea. Lydia would probably say I like writing about myself. I can hear her now: _It's your dream Freddie, an entire book about yourself, you arrogant prat. _Although, come to think of it, actual insults aren't Lydia's style. Not to say she doesn't use them, but most of the time she does it subtly, whispering mean jokes or casual comments with a hint of venom. And alright, I'll admit it. Sometimes she can be very inventive.

Okay, enough about Lydia. Erm, let's see. Today was pretty cool. School was boring enough, and Lydia the Angry was in a bad mood. Not good for me, if you didn't know. I rocked at band practice again. I'm on a roll, seriously. And of course, Lydia went off on yet another one of her mysterious disappearances and everyone started fussing. They all think it's some big, dramatic mystery. I just think she's attention seeking. Whatever it is, it's got nothing to do with me, and I'm fine about that.

I'm taking Hannah to the cinema tonight. She's my girlfriend, my incredibly cute girlfriend, and definitely one of the fittest girls in our class. Apparently Zack is taking Lydia. No idea why, unless he likes being terrorised. Well, maybe that's not fair. She can be alright when she wants to, and I suppose that she is kind of pretty. Like the day in the park when I got some of her lyrics. She looked quite cute, with the wind blowing her hair around. Still, I'd choose Hannah any day.

Speaking of those lyrics, they were amazing. I can't remember what they were, but it blew my mind away. Honestly, I was really impressed.

Well, I think I've written enough. See you around.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Freddie' P.O.V

Sharp, icy wind hit Freddie hard as he wandered through the marketplace, and yet again he wondered why he had bothered to come here. It was a small market, a rip-off of Camden Market in England. Freddie had only been to England once, and his cousin Danielle had taken him to Camden as a treat. He still thought of the place even now; it was his ambition to return one day with the band and play in the centre of Camden Market. As another blast of wind hit him full on, making his eyes water, he quickly stepped into a nearby shop.

It was shabby and dark inside the store and at first he couldn't see much. As his eyes adjusted to the light, he took a closer look at some of the items. On the large rack to his right lay hundreds of shoes, from old, steel-toed Dr. Martens to Gothic Lolita platforms and knee high, lace-up leather boots. Beside him a black lacy prom dress, complete with corset and a tutu skirt, hung on a mannequin. Squinting into the darkness at the other end of the shop, he saw even more of the clothes only a hardened Goth would wear. As he moved further in, he saw about three more people in the shop: a tall guy with a mohican and about twenty piercings stood by a rusty till, a skinny Goth woman admiring some dresses at the back of the store and a younger girl, her back to him, with long dark hair and very pale skin. The girl was flipping through an ancient magazine of designs, occasionally pausing to look up at a hanger or a pair of shoes.

Cautiously he walked up to her before tapping her on the shoulder. "Excuse me, but I'm looking for-" The girl turned around. "Oh. Well, I wasn't looking for _you_. What are you doing here?" Lydia rolled her eyes.

"Not you again," she sighed. "I don't even like you and I seem to be spending half my time with you these days." Now that she was facing him, he could see her pale features standing out in the gloom, a slant of light from a dusty window reflecting in her dark eyes. "And, though I can't see how it concerns you, I am here looking for an outfit for tonight."  
"The cinema?" Freddie asked and then remembered the msn conversation. "Oh yeah, Zack invited you." They stood in silence, staring up at the long rows of hangers, dark clothes absorbing the little light there was.

"I come here a lot," Lydia said at last. "After your practice, I come here. Sometimes I'll buy something; sometimes I'll just look. Sometimes I help out. It depends.

"Is that where you go?" Freddie asked thoughtfully. "Hannah-"

"-Thinks I'm off smoking and getting high? Well, there's best friend trust for you."

"What's up with you?"

"Nothing. How could anything be wrong in my life, right?"

"Well, that's not what Hannah-"  
"Oh, don't talk to me about Hannah," Lydia snapped. "I know perfectly well what she thinks, and I know that she tells all of you about me. So don't think you know anything about me, because it's all a lie."  
"She's worried about you!"  
"Oh yeah, worried about what I'll do if she's not there to make sure I do things her way. I used to- to-"  
"To what? To just go off on your own, leaving everyone else behind? You're so full of yourself that you can't even let yourself see that maybe you're being stupid for once!"  
"Shut up! You don't know anything, so just stop kidding yourself that you can analyse my life and it'll be ok, because it won't! So just shut up for once!" She shoved past him and ran out of the shop, the bell clanging behind her as the door slammed shut. Freddie watched her go, seething with anger and a faint feeling of guilt. Looking down, he saw the magazine she had been looking at, its pages open to show an image of a dark bejewelled bracelet. His anger evaporated as quickly as it had come. An idea formed. _Lydia. _


	6. What was said

**Thanks so much to all my reviewers! Also a huge thank you to -BeeVee-THEEAmazing, who edited this chapter. I know it's been a while since I've updated, and that was partly due to a series of amazing events. Still after much prompting from a friend, I have managed to get this chapter up. Review Responses:**

**Polkadot-Sunstar:** Wow! You have reviewed every chapter!! I am so grateful!!!!! Yeah, he was a bit mean, but then I thought that Freddie would say these things and not really mean them. Also, Lydia has a fiery temper too, so their conversations get out of hand really easily. I'm sorry for taking so long to update! Please keep reading!!

**Birdhearted:** You're right! Major plot hole, so thanks for pointing that out. I've fixed it, and I think they'll be a chapter including Dewey in about two chapters. This is because I have to finish the cinema scene first, and then I can get on to fixing my plot. Thanks for pointing it out, otherwise I honestly would not have noticed!

**-BeeVee-THEEAmazing:** Thanks for editing! I know you said change 'Freddie' to 'Freddy', but my friends have persauded me to keep it as 'Freddie' after a long debate. Sorry! Otherwise, thanks for reading and reviewing. I'll send it as an email next time, it's just I didn't know that this time. Thanks again!

**xpinkittyx:** Haha Melissa. I see you all the time, so I don't know why I bother replying but anyway. I promised it by 6:00pm, and that's what I've done!! xxx

**bex m:** Thanks for reviewing! Here it is!

**i.luv.2.read:** Hello Chi!! My amazing sixth chapter is finally up, and you can find out what Freddie says to Lydia! At any rate, I kept my promise. REVIEW!!

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Zack's P.O.V

He looked over at Lydia. The sunset from behind the buildings hit her from an angle, giving her pale skin a glow that he'd never seen before. He didn't care what she said, she was beautiful in his opinion. She made him laugh, and he loved her fiery attitude, but it was more than that. Lydia had a depth to her that he'd never seen before in any other girl.

"Zack," she said with a half-smile. "Thanks for asking me to come. It was a first."

"No problem," he said. "I'm glad you're here. To be honest, I thought you might not come if I didn't ask you." She frowned as she thought about that.

"I would have come. But..." she hesitated, struggling to find the right words. "It wouldn't have been as much fun." Turning the corner, they caught sight of the cinema.

Outside were Katie, Tomika, Lawrence and Marta. Summer stood nearby, on her phone as usual. They waved when they saw Zack and Lydia.

"Zack! Lydia! It's great that you're here," Summer told them, "Everyone else seems to be running late. I'm trying to check who's coming." So that was what she was doing. Zack liked Summer, with her organised lifestyle and confident approach to life. In that aspect, she and Lydia were like twins: neither was afraid to voice their thoughts.

Just then a car roared up. Freddie and Hannah got out, and the car zoomed off again.

"Well look who it is, Freddie the Self-righteous," Lydia whispered,

and Zack laughed. She always had something to say.

Freddie's P.O.V

As soon as he and Hannah got out of the car, his sister drove away. It had taken a lot to convince her to even think about driving him there, and he was inclined to think it wasn't really worth it, apart from the fact that Hannah wasn't allowed that far across town on her own. _And it would fall to me, as the loyal boyfriend, to sacrifice his pocket money for three months so she could come to some stupid get-together that Summer had organised, _Freddie thought in annoyance. He didn't really want to be here, but Alicia had left him with the distinct impression that if he didn't come, Hannah would assume he wasn't serious about their relationship. It was…easier this way.

As usual, Lydia looked his way and whispered something to Zack. For some reason, it made him furious. She looked at him, and their eyes met, and for a moment a flash of defiance sparked in her eyes. Then it was gone, replaced by the mocking laughter she always seemed to hold in every time she looked at him. _Oh, so that's how it's going to go, is it?_ _Fine by me, let's see how far this little game goes. _So he blinked, fixed a friendly smile on his face and called,

"Zack, mate! How are things?"

Zack shrugged. "Alright, I suppose. How's your life?"

"We're good," replied Hannah for him. He frowned slightly. He had always been known for being loud, but ever since he had been dating Hannah, he had been spending more time with his mouth closed than open. Lydia noticed, and let out a quiet laugh. Zack and Hannah looked at her.

"What?" Asked Hannah.

"Nothing," replied Lydia. Her words were airy and uncaring, but her dark eyes were hard and challenging. For a moment, he felt a stir of admiration, and mentally slapped himself. _You don't like her. You don't like her. _

"Alright, the others will be late," frowned Summer, "so I guess we should go inside." She strode purposely into the building, Hannah and Marta scurrying after her. Katie and Lawrence followed them, continuing their quiet conversation, leaving Zack and Lydia to trail behind. Freddie reluctantly started to walk towards them. He could see how this trip was going to go.

Marta's P.O.V

Marta and Hannah led the pack towards the confectionary stand.

"It's awful that Alicia, Michelle and Eleni can't come," Hannah sighed. "It's not the same without them."

"I know!" replied Marta, "It's, like, I know Michelle and Eleni have that _really _important photo shoot thing, and Alicia has singing lessons, but, like, what about us? Everyone else is, like, so boring!"

"Yeah, but, they're all cool in their own little way," Hannah giggled. "I mean, aren't Zack and Lydia just the cutest?" Marta looked at them. She frowned slightly as she turned to Hannah.

"I suppose," she replied uncertainly. "I mean, how long do you think that's going to last? I'd like to see Lydia keep a guy for more than a day."

"Don't say that," Hannah whispered, although she didn't look completely sure of what she was about to say. "Lydia's really nice. I think Zack will be perfect for her." Marta snorted. She meant what she said when she spoke about Lydia. Honestly, Marta had known Zack since they were five, and Lydia was _definitely _not his type. In fact, she doubted anyone in his right mind would take Lydia out anywhere. She hoped that it was one of those dares that Freddie was often doing, because she had seriously thought Zack had better taste than that.

"Whatever," she replied to Hannah. "Let's not fight. It doesn't matter."

"Honestly, you guys talk about Lydia so much that I can't even be bothered to argue anymore," Hannah shrugged.

Freddie's P.O.V

Freddie slumped against the wall, bored of the proceedings. Hannah, the only reason he was here, had ditched him for Marta, and the rest had split up into teams of twos and threes. He contemplated going over to join Zack, but one look at Lydia changed his mind. She and Zack stood to one side of the group, their heads almost touching as she whispered to him, her eyes vivid and laughing. As if she could feel his gaze, she looked up and their eyes met. A bold stare dominated her features. _You don't belong Freddie. Go home. _Scowling, he walked slowly and deliberately towards her. Zack, as if sensing the bad aura, took a step back. Freddie waited until he was standing right in front of her.

"What is your problem, exactly?" He asked, his voice low with barely contained anger.

"So I'm the one with the problem?" Lydia smirked. Her dark eyes flashed, daring him to fight back. "You're the one getting angry."

"You think that you can do whatever you want and no one will ever stand up to you but you're wrong. You're so, so wrong, because all you do is make enemies so everyone hates you."

"And you would know? How do you know what I think, or what anyone else thinks? You can't even think anything for yourself. You don't know anything." Her jaw was clenched, the teasing spark gone.

"You think I don't know? All anyone talks about is how much they hate you, even your supposed 'best friend'. And the people who care about you, they try to stop it all but in the end why bother? Because all you ever do is push them away because all you care about is yourself!"

"Shut up," hissed Lydia. "Shut up. You don't know anything about me. All you can see is what other people have told you, and it's lies but you don't care! You're just so fake that-"

"You still think that somehow you can win?" Freddie asked, adrenalin racing through him. He wouldn't stop, wouldn't give up, even though he could see Lydia's eyes, angry and hurt. He couldn't stop. "All you are, all you pretend to be, it's just a screen and you think you're so hard. But in reality, all we see is some pathetic, rich wannabe who's parents hate her so much that they couldn't even stand being around you."

He heard gasps from behind him. Turning, he saw that everyone was watching. Marta looked amused, but the rest looked shocked. Hannah looked furious and horrified. Freddie bit his lip. Immediately a wave of guilt washed over him. _"You can't tell anyone what I've told you Freddie, it's Lydia's private life," _Hannah had said. Looking back at Lydia, he expected to see her angry, or upset. Instead she just looked shaken, her eyes wide and her skin even paler than usual. She opened her mouth as if to say something, then closed it.

"Okay," she said, her voice quieter than Freddie had ever heard her. "I see it. Okay."


	7. Nobody's Sweetheart

Finally I got it up! Thank you so much for everyone who pressured me into writing this, and I'm so sorry to those who've been waiting for this chapter for over a month now! I won't bore you with my excuses. Thank you to everyone who reviewed my last, and if you haven't reviewed this story then please do! OK, review responses are at the end this time.

Thanks again, especially to my editor, -BeeVee-THEEAmazing.

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Zack's P.O.V 

For a second everyone just stood there, Freddie's words ringing in the air. Hannah was the first to react. She pushed past Freddie roughly, giving him one cold glance. Then she grabbed Lydia's arm.

"Come on," she murmured, pulling her away. "Don't let him hurt you. Come with me." Lydia didn't resist, letting Hannah lead her off towards the toilets, no doubt for a serious comfort session. Her eyes were still fixed on Freddie's face, large and vulnerable, without a trace of her usual confidence and pride. It was like she was looking for something, an apology, a sign that Freddie hadn't meant it. It almost hurt to see her like that, to see how much Freddie's words had hurt her. Was it true? For a second Zack wished he knew. But he couldn't ask her, not now anyway.

As soon as she and Hannah were gone, he rounded on Freddie.

"What was that for?"

Freddie's face was pale, his guilt written all over his face. He hadn't meant it, but Zack didn't care. He'd gone one step too far.

"It wasn't my fault," Freddie muttered, looking away to avoid Zack's furious glare. "She started it."

"You didn't have to say that! You knew how much that would hurt anyone, let alone her!" Zack's fists clenched. Behind Freddie, he could see Martha's surprised expression. "You always have to take it one step too far!"

"Well I didn't see you making any move to stick up for her!" Freddie retorted defensively. "Everyone here knows perfectly well that Lydia Vice deserved everything she got. It's only because you're such a pushover that you can't see that!"

"At least I don't go around spreading lies about other people's personal lives!"

"Lies?" Freddie actually laughed at that. He was supposed to be Zack's best friend but now, more than anything Zack wanted to rip him apart. "Everyone knows that Lydia's parents don't look after her. Thinking of how she acts, what I said seems perfectly reasonable so don't try to-"

Before he could continue, Zack sprang forward, his fist moving up to punch Freddie hard in the stomach. The onlookers gave gasps - Martha with excitement.

Freddie shoved him off, kicking him hard in the legs. Zack was angry, but Freddie was far more experienced and stronger. Before he knew it, Freddie was kicking him in the head while he vainly tried to shield himself. He could hear Summer's shouts, and Katie and Tomika's gasps of horror. Martha was laughing slightly in the background, but he didn't know if that was just him imagining things. Clearer than everything, Zack could hear Freddie's words, cutting through his consciousness.

"What - are - you - trying - to - prove? She's - not - worth - it!"

"STOP!"

The entire hall fell silent, and for the first time Zack noticed the other onlookers.

Mothers with children and old people stared in horror, disgust and fear. Two attendants were hurrying towards him, flanked by a large security guard. But the shout hadn't come from any of them.

"Don't do this..." Lydia pleaded. She stood with Hannah, who was protectively clutching her hand and glaring at Freddie. Though right now, she looked surprised, and Zack couldn't blame her. Lydia, on the other hand, looked worn out. Her eyes were red, streaks of mascara all over her face where she had been crying. Her whole body was slumped, closed up to everyone. Only her face was more open than ever, dark eyes large and full of exhaustion, her lower lip shaking slightly. And, after all that, Zack felt slightly ashamed.

"Don't fight," Lydia said, her voice trembling ever so slightly. "Not over this. Not over me."

The attendants finally reached us, the security guard glaring menacingly at Freddie and I.

"I'm going to have to ask all of you to leave," stated one of the attendants, standing slightly behind the guard for protection. Zack slumped onto the floor in frustration. Very slowly, he got up. When he was on his feet, he realised Lydia was gone. Hannah stood alone, tired and angry, and behind her the cinema doors swung slowly shut. Zack groaned. Some date this had turned out to be.

Lydia's P.O.V

Lydia ran through the streets, not caring who saw her. Her throat felt raw with all the sobbing, and the anger. She just felt defeated now, hopeless, like Freddie had taken everything important to her and smashed it in her face. Was that really how they all saw her? Her parents did love her, they did. Or did they? She didn't know anymore. Her mind was blurred and confused, and she just wanted to go to sleep and never wake up. But she kept on running, her legs pounding the pavement, sending jarring pains through her body. She knew where she was going by now, where she would end up. Skidding to a halt, at first she couldn't understand why her vision was blurred. Then she realised it was tears, and furiously rubbed her eyes with the sleeve of her hoodie. Swallowing her tears, she stepped inside the small store she'd been in earlier with Freddie.

The difference was plain. Whereas all Freddie was dark and gloom, she saw a place that was as close to her as home. Even the dust seemed familiar, swirling in the slants of light. By the till stood the guy whom she loved like a brother - known as Spike for his mohican. He looked up as she walked in, and his eyes filled with concern.

"Lydia, what happened?"

She couldn't hold it back. Before she could stop herself, she'd run through the aisles and was hugging him painfully tightly while she sobbed into his leather jacket. Lydia felt Spike's bony arms tentatively hugging her in return, and her tears grew more intense. He led her across the store, into the private back room, and sat her down in a chair covered in piles of black clothing, which he brushed to one side. Gently prying her arms loose, he wiped her tears away and his heart went out to the little girl in front of him.

"Lyddy," he whispered, "Lyddy what's wrong?"

"It's just so unfair!" She wailed, unable to hold back now that she was alone with Spike. "No matter how hard I try, everything just ends up ruined. No one likes me, no one wants me..."

"Lyddy, you know that's not true," Spike promised her. "You are an amazing person who doesn't need to be like the others to look good. You make your own way, you're strong and clever, and you have so many friends. Life's been hard on you recently, what with moving to some posh school and all, but I know you can get through it. Crying won't fix it. You drink, you dance, and you have fun with your real friends. That's what works."

Lydia wiped her eyes and gave a small smile. She knew she'd scared Spike with her sudden waterworks act. He was right though. It was the wrong way to go.

"Got anything good to drink?" She asked, her voice hoarse from all the crying. She looked at him expectantly.

"Nah, sorry," he replied, fishing around in a tiny fridge covered in band stickers. "Jaz cleaned me out last week after her fight with Matty." With a smile, he turned to her and added, "Looks like everyone's been coming to me with their problems. You feeling better, sweetheart?"

"Don't call me that," protested Lydia with a laugh, chucking a nearby scarf at him. "For now I'm nobody's sweetheart."

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Review responses:

**Birdhearted:** In answer to your question, yes she will. Eventually. When she has time to think it through, she'll realise. I suppose this chapter's even more intense! Thanks for reviewing.

**-BeeVee-THEEAmazing:** Thanks for all the editing! I know, I bet loads of people have forgotten by now. Still, better late than never. As for your last review, what do you think? I quite like LydiaxFreddie, but I want to know what everyone else thinks. He doesn't hate her, she just infuriates him so he says the meanest thing he can think of, even if he doesn't mean it. They're both quite impulsive, Freddie and Lydia. Thanks for everything!

**Polkadot-Sunstar:** He doesn't mean it, he just gets angry easily. Thanks for reviewing!

**xpinkittyx:** How could I not mention you Melli! Aren't you proud? I promised I would get it up over the weekend, and that's what I did. I hope you like it, and you can see where I'm going, considering that you're the one who knows my whole plot by now! xxx thank you so much for EVERYTHING

**I.luv.2.read:** Be happy, Chi! I got it up! Next time I'll print off a copy for you, don't worry. xxxx REVIEW like you promised


	8. Fresh Starts

**Admittedly, I pretty much gave up on this. I doubt anyone will read it anymore, but I had a flash of inspiration and couldn't stop once I'd started. I hope I still get some reviews - hopefully my writing's improved in the time I haven't been writing! Thank you for your time and patience :P**

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"What on earth possessed you to dye your hair _blonde_?" Hannah asked in disbelief. "I mean, sure it's not _all _blonde, but still! Why, Lyddy, why?"

"I figured, why not?" Lydia shrugged. "I like it. Well, I would never keep it like this, but it makes a cute change for now." Hannah had every right to her outright disbelief. Lydia's hair, which had originally stretched down to her shoulder blades, was now cropped into something that resembled a bob; the back reaching the nape of her neck and the front falling almost to her chin. She had kept the thick fringe that practically covered her eyes but her entire hair was now a vivid shade of blonde streaked with neon pink. When Hannah had gone to visit her after she didn't show up at school on Monday, she expected to find Lydia still upset from what Freddie had said on Friday. Instead, Lydia was bouncing around her house in a more cheerful mood than she had seen her in for a long time.

"But why _blonde and pink_? I thought you loved your hair!" Hannah settled back on Lydia's bed, stretching out across the dark red duvet. "Now it clashes with your room." Lydia burst out laughing.

"I think it adds a bit of contrast, don't you?" She dropped into a yoga position beside Hannah, a way of sitting that had been her habit for as long as Hannah had known her. "Besides, as much as I love being what people like Louisa refer to as 'emo', I can't keep going like this. Friday taught me a lesson. I can't go on being all moody and angry at the world – eventually something's got to give. Sure, life is pretty bad at the moment, but why should I let that bother me? Just because I might be slightly bipolar, doesn't mean I have to be so down all the time. New hair colour, new me – something a bit more cheery, I'm hoping." She tapped one finger against her chin, dark eyes wide and smiling.

"And you decided all this...when?" Hannah asked. She wasn't sceptical; she knew Lydia well enough to know that, if she put her mind to it, she could manage to stay positive for quite a while. "And about the bipolar thing...have you been taking your medication?" Lydia made a face.

"No," she muttered. "Hannah, you know I hate that stuff! I guess it just annoys me that I have to depend on it to stop myself getting super depressed. I suppose Friday was the peak of my whole 'mood-swing madness' thing. Don't worry, I'm taking it again now. I don't want to be in _that _situation again." Hannah just nodded with a slight sigh. Ever since she had been diagnosed as bipolar, Lydia had pretty much refused to acknowledge that she had that condition. Hannah never brought it up because she knew it was one of the few things that no one could get across to her – the only way she would take her medication was if she felt like it, which was rare.

"Yeah well, good for you. Are you coming back to school tomorrow? Come to think of it, why weren't you at school today?"

"Couldn't be bothered," Lydia shrugged.

"Your aunt let you get away with that?"

"Well, it's not like she had much choice. She couldn't exactly force me to get up, so she gave up after a while. I honestly think she's stopped caring about me."



"So what did she think of the hair?"

"She was shocked," Lydia laughed. "And then _really _mad. She says I look like a drag queen. Can you believe how harsh that is?" Hannah giggled.

"I can't wait to see what Miss Reid says," she commented, imagining their teacher's face when she saw Lydia's brighter-than-white blonde hair. Lydia stuck out her tongue.

"I couldn't care less, to be honest," she sighed. "I have given up on school. When I am older, I plan on being a guitarist in a band. Or maybe a model – that sounds quite fun. Or maybe a photographer. Either way, it's not exactly stuff you need algebra and geography for."

"Why don't you be a singer?" Hannah asked tentatively. She had been carrying round the tape for weeks but had never found the right moment to bring it up. Lydia gave her an odd look.

"What makes you say that?"

"Oh, I don't know...it's just I found a tape of you singing the other day. You sound really good, so I just thought..." Lydia laughed.

"No way," she told Hannah. "Sure, I have an alright voice. The thing is, there's something about singing in front of a crowd that makes me get so nervous that I almost pass out. I don't know why. I'm fine on guitar or piano. It's just singing."

"That's a shame, because you're way more talented than Amethyst," Hannah shrugged. "Or pretty much most of the people I know for that matter."

"It's just not something I've ever really wanted to do," Lydia sighed. "Do me a favour and don't spread the fact that I can sing around? It's really not something I feel like sharing."

"Sure thing," Hannah agreed reluctantly. "And you never answered my question. Are you coming to school tomorrow?"

"I suppose," Lydia replied slowly. "There's no point in hanging around at home, so I might as well show up and provide all you lot with some decent conversation. Not that I think your little friends will be too keen on that idea." Hannah couldn't help giggling.

"They don't _hate_ you, Lydia..."

"Now _that_, my dear, is where you would be wrong. I'm pretty sure I have providing gossip for them for a long time and Friday's events have probably got them bitching so fast that they won't run out of conversation until next month. That lot loathe me. Still, I don't exactly consider it a loss. They're not really my type of people, but as long as they're treating you nicely I'm happy to be civil to them."

"Er...thank you?" Hannah sighed, closing her eyes. "I suppose that if you're okay with it, there's no point in making a big deal out of it. Are you going to be okay with seeing Freddie?" Lydia snorted.



"Is that code for 'are you planning on punching Freddie/bursting into tears next time you see him'?" Hannah laughed.

"No...well, yeah. Pretty much."

"The answer to both of those would be no. I thought about it for a bit and realised that I was being a twat. Sure, he comes pretty high on my 'most annoying people in the world' list, but I'm sure he feels the same way about me. And at least he's honest about how he feels, unlike a certain four girls I won't name. Besides, it _was _a pretty good comeback. I just overreacted. Bipolar issues, I'm guessing. So I've decided that I'm going to forget about it. It doesn't mean that I like him. It just means that next time I see his oh-so-irritating face, I won't smash it into the nearest wall." Hannah grinned.

"You have _no _idea how relieved I am to hear that," she admitted. "You're being very mature all of a sudden."

"The wondrous works of bipolar medication perhaps?"

"That _would _explain it."

"It's just a lot easier to let everything go. I can't be bothered to put the effort into being angry at people." Lydia grinned. "From now on, I'm going to be ultra-polite to _everyone_. Besides the fact that it's the morally correct thing to do – which as you know, I normally couldn't care less about – it will also annoy the hell out of the people who hate me. And I don't know about you, but that sounds like fun to me!"

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Hannah tapped her pencil against the desk impatiently, staring up at the clock. Lydia had promised she would come in but it was already five minutes to registration and there was no sign of her. Hannah couldn't help but be excited – she had managed to restrain herself from telling people about Lydia's dramatic new hairstyle and was eagerly anticipating their reaction. Several times that morning, various people had asked her what was wrong, mistaking her suspense-fuelled tension for something negative. What if Lydia didn't come in? Well, if she broke her promise then Hannah would be having words with her for _sure_.

Two minutes to registration. Where was she? Eleni was commenting on Lydia's absence. Hannah ignored it. She'd learnt that the easiest way to avoid trouble with her friends was to simply tune out of their conversations whenever the topic turned to Lydia. The bell rang and she frowned. No sign of Lydia. Her classmates began to return to their seats. Freddie slid his feet off the table. Lawrence attempted to shake Katie awake and Tomika shoved a half-eaten packet of crisps in her desk. Miss Reid walked in and the class reluctantly fell silent. Hannah sighed, subconsciously toying with one of her bracelets – a violation of the uniform code, but no one had noticed yet. Then Lydia walked in.

Zack's jaw dropped. Freddie swore loudly and Summer gave one of the loudest gasps Hannah had ever heard. Marta and Alicia exchanged shocked glances, Eleni stopped doodling on the 

desk in amazement and Michelle muttered to Katie, 'whoa'. Even the teacher's mouth fell open in sheer disbelief. Hannah struggled to stop herself bursting out laughing. Lydia's hair seemed even brighter than it had the day before. She'd outlined her eyes in heavy black eyeliner and silver glitter and her fingernails were coated in chipped black nail polish. She grinned at them all widely.

"Hi guys! Miss me?"

"What the _hell_?" Martha uttered in a mixture of shock, envy and disgust. Behind her, Michelle was attempting to subtly take a photo on her phone without Miss Reid noticing. In answer to Martha, Lydia's grin widened and she shot her a thumbs up.

"Nice to see you too Martha."

"Lydia Vice, what on earth have you done to your hair?" Miss Reid questioned, looking slightly faint. Lydia raised her eyebrows.

"Isn't it obvious?" She replied, shaking her head. "I've dyed it, of course. Do you like it?" Freddie snorted and Zack grinned. Summer disguised her laughter with an incredibly forced coughing fit.

"Like it? Miss Vice, that hair colour is _completely_ against regulations-"

"How?" Lydia asked innocently.

"How?" Miss Reid looked completely lost for words. "Well...I...it states in the uniform code that hair must be a natural colour!"

"Ah, but what if this was my natural hair colour?"

"But it isn't!" Miss Reid protested, seemingly at a loss as to how to handle the situation. "We've all seen your natural hair colour!"

"Yeah, but what if the black was dye and this is my actual hair?"

"But it's not!"

"But how do you know?" Lydia had managed to keep a completely straight face – Hannah was struggling to burst into hysterical giggles. Freddie was shaking with silent laughter and Summer was coughing more heavily than ever.

"Oh, go sit down!" Miss Reid finally burst out in frustration. "I'll deal with you later." Lydia raised her eyebrows.

"So, it's a date then!" She beamed and practically bounced down to her seat. Miss Reid looked like she was about to cry.

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Everyone was waiting for break for arrive just so that they could get a closer look. For the whole morning, Lydia had been in whispered conversation with Zack that involved lots of wild hand gestures and laughing. Miss Reid had literally raced out of the classroom at the bell, muttering 'I need a coffee'. Freddie had been unable to concentrate during the lesson; his eyes kept drifting to Lydia's vivid blonde and pink hair. She was utterly, totally mad, he had decided. There was no way she would get away with it and even though she had managed to look cute in an outrageous way, her natural black suited her far more. She didn't look bothered by Friday at all – in fact, he didn't think he'd ever seen her happier. In a way it was a relief but on the other hand, it slightly irritated him. After he'd been worrying and feeling guilty for the past three days, she wasn't even _bothered_. He wasn't sure about talking to her – was she secretly still annoyed? When the bell rang for break, he remained in his seat for a moment, unsure of what course of action to take. Then he got up and made his way over to the crowd surrounding her. Might as well find out where he stood.

"It looks _so _cool, Lydia," Katie was gushing. It was unlike Katie to get excited about someone's hair – he supposed that was a sign of how much impact it had made. "When did you get it done?"

"Friday night, about midnight," Lydia laughed. There was a mixed reaction – everyone was dying to ask her about Friday but no one could bring themselves to be the one to mention it. Freddie couldn't help but feel a wave of annoyance. What had she done, run off crying to the hairdressers? He noticed Marta, Alicia, Eleni and Michelle exchanging glances at her words and was sure that they would have something to say about it later.

"Aren't you going to get into trouble?" Summer asked doubtfully. Lydia smirked.

"Like I care!" She shrugged. "I don't see why it's a big deal, so I don't care what they do about it. I'm not changing it at the moment, so they can try all they like but it won't make me change my mind." Freddie was surprised at how calm she seemed – nearly every person in the class was crowded around her, firing questions and making comments. He didn't know who she was paying attention to, how she could even breathe in that atmosphere. There was no way she would see him in that amount of people, even less chance of her paying any attention to him. He was wrong. Somehow, her eyes seemed to seek out his. They locked his gaze with her typical ferocity and her mouth twisted up in a half-smile. He suddenly felt embarrassed at the memory of how he had acted at the cinema and wished he could look away. However, she had no intention of ignoring him.

"Hello Freddie," she remarked coolly and everyone fell silent. He could tell they were all trying not to go 'oooh' like a TV drama.

"Hey, Lydia," He answered, attempting to sound nonchalant. "Nice hair." She raised her eyebrows with a smirk.

"Why thank you. You haven't changed since Friday, so I can't really return the compliment." Freddie didn't know what to reply to that. Trust her to bring up Friday like that, in front of loads of people so that he knew that no matter what he said, it would be judged over and over again.

"Er...thanks. I guess. How are you?" She shrugged.

"I'm cool. You?"



"Yeah. Same, I mean. You know." She nodded slowly, still smiling in the same, unreadable way.

"Yeah."

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"Let's go somewhere this weekend." Zack looked down at Lydia in surprise. She lay stretched out on the grass outside the school, eyes shut, blonde hair splayed out on the green. He sat beside her, iPod in one ear. They had been in pretty much silence until she had made that remark, a remark he had never heard her make at all – least of all to him. During the morning's lessons she had chattered away, almost hyperactively, but she had not once mentioned associating out of school. It took him by surprise.

"Like where?" He asked. She smiled, keeping her eyes shut.

"Oh, I don't know. Somewhere fun, I guess. Don't you want to meet up?"

"Of course I do!" He protested and she giggled quietly.

"Then pick somewhere. Someplace I'll like."

"Um..." Zack was honestly stuck for words. He couldn't think of anywhere at all that would possibly be interesting enough to make him look cool in front of Lydia. For some reason, the very idea of being alone with her on his own made him nervous. "Well...I guess..."

"You don't have to decide now, you know. It's only Tuesday."

"That's good," he admitted, "because I've got no idea whatsoever." Lydia laughed, stretching her arms back behind her head. She opened one eye and gazed at him mischievously.

"Well, that gives you at least three days to think it over then."

"Do you want to invite anyone else?"

"I don't mind," Lydia shrugged. "If you want to, I'm cool with that. Better pick a place first though, before we start spreading it around. Oh, and Zack?"

"Yeah?"

"Try not to invite anyone who hates me please," she grinned, sitting up beside him.

"That could be difficult..."

"Oh come on. There's not _that _many people that hate me! Is there?"

"No..." Zack replied, laughing. "Just pretty much all of my friends. And they don't _hate _you."



"What, they strongly dislike me then?" Lydia rolled her eyes. "What a huge difference."

"Well, who do you actually _like_?" Zack asked her. He was seriously curious – although Lydia was painfully honest about others' opinions of her, she had never actually made clear what her feelings towards them were. She shrugged, contemplating the question.

"Hannah, of course. You. I don't mind people like Summer, Katie, Tomika, Lawrence and so on. It's just a certain four people I can't stand."

"Let me guess..." Zack sighed. "Marta, Michelle, Eleni and Alicia?"

"Bingo, we have a winner," Lydia smirked. "_That_ bunch of corporate sell-outs."

"Don't you think that's just a little bit harsh?"

"Er, no? Besides, it's not like they would know what it meant without the help of a dictionary. Ah, but wait a minute. I'm being mean, aren't I?"

"Just a bit, yeah," Zack laughed. "It's cool. I'm not going to tell them or anything. Speaking of which, are you and Freddie cool now?" Lydia sighed, toying with the ends of a bright pink streak of hair.

"I don't know. I guess...I'm not going to start anything up again. I'm cool as I can be with him. I've got no idea how he feels about me. I mean, he still annoys the hell out of me. I just don't want to throw him off a cliff anymore!" She grinned. "It's up to him in the end, whether we're going to be cool or not."

"That's good I guess," Zack replied, gazing up at the sky. Further down the sports field, some of the boys in the year below were playing soccer. Some girls in the other class were playing music on their phones and reading magazines by the corner of the pitch. Marta, Eleni, Michelle, Alicia, Freddie and Hannah were sitting by a tree further down the field.

"Don't you think Freddie's a bit of a loser though?" Lydia stated thoughtfully, eyeing their group with a slight hint of scorn. "I mean, he spends all his time hanging out with girls. Particularly those five. You'd think he'd have better things to do with his time than chat about shopping and hairstyles with his girlfriend and her best friends. Or does he enjoy conversations about what shade of nail polish goes best with his eyes?" Zack elbowed her, laughing.

"Shut up," he told her lightly. He paused, stuck for a comeback. "Annoyingly, I can't even think of a response to that."

"What, my witty remarks have left you speechless?"

"You wish!"

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End file.
